Tornado (real one and me)

OK, I hate this! I want to go back Finland where there is a proper internet connection that is working right! AGAIN! They fucking disconnected me AGAIN!!! Now they accuse me for copyright violation! AGAIN I USE ONLY IRC, SKYPE, MESSENGER AND FIREFOX AND I DO NOT DOWNLOAD ANYTHING!
So now I need to call to some person to talk about my "violation" and they do not take appointments on the same day so I don't get my internet working this week because I'm leaving for Chicago on Friday. For fuck sake! This really pisses me off. Luckily I talked with my mom yesterday. But now I won't hear Tarmos voice until next week...
This is not my day, I'm so tired and pissed off!

I didn't sleep well thanks to someone so I was really tired and I needed to get up early so that I could finish my readings. And Tuesdays are always long days and there was this tornado warning so I couldn't get home. But I'll start from yesterday.

I decided to go to CoralRidge to get some post cards and because of that I needed to read late. I'll have my exam on tomorrow night from 8 to 9 pm. Then I need to start reading for my endocrinology and then I have two weeks time to catch up everything and then it starts all over again. And I asked my professor in Finland about my courses for the next Spring. There's this one course I can't do but we'll figure out what I do with it when I get back in Finland. And I'm still trying to think what to do about the "job course". Maybe I'll figure that out too when I get back. I just need to finish my Masters Thesis and after that I'll think what I want to do. The course would be useful but at the same time I want to graduate asap. I'll see.

And as I already mentioned, I talked with my mom yesterday. And I asked if she was ok because of the dream I had last week. She bursted in tears and sobbed that she's ok, just stressed out because of the water damage and because she misses me. I also asked about my birth (since I've been inspired lately because of this Developmental course) and she told that I was born on week 30. 30! I always knew I was born early, but THAT early... (Her placenta was falling apart.) I wonder if that affects on anything...

And I had a good laugh yesterday because of my self. I was writing a card for my niece and I was thinking in English while writing in Finnish, the I thought that oh no, now I wrote it in Finnish, then I thought no, wait a minute, that's what I was supposed to do :D I'm so funny.

I was reading some Finnish web pages today before my late discussion for two hours and when I finally left to my class, I was really confused and it felt unreal, because I felt that I was in Finland but then again I was walking in Iowa. And it was raining really heavily today and my shoes didn't even get wet! Or they did but my socks didn't! Good shoes!

And I've been feeling a bit down. (Now even more thanks to the internet thing. Well, actually, I'm just pissed off because of that.) But this is weird. When I was single (few years ago when my last relationship ended) I felt down but now this feels better because I'm not alone. I know there is someone else who is missing me also, I'm in someones heart. So my heart is not broken, it just misses someone badly. I'm not alone with my feelings and it makes me feel better.
As I have already mentioned, we're going to Chicago next weekend. But somehow I'm not as excited as I would like to be :( I do want to go and I know it'll be fun. I just need to get the tomorrows exam off me and maybe then I can think something else too...

Weather has been gray and we had a big thunderstorm, Fall is coming. And today when our discussion started at 7 pm, there was sirens and people looked a bit worried. It was a tornado warning. We decided to continue and go to the basement if there is another alarm. On the same time the TA checked where the tornado is going (he said it was in Kalona). At 7.30 pm we got another alarm and we hurried up our questions and finished the class. There was people waiting downstairs and the wind was quite harsh. I could see the lightning but there was no sound. And the lightnings were small and continuous and at the same place for long time. It didn't rain anymore and finally the bus driver opened the bus at 8 pm but we had to wait some other bus so I was heading back home at 8.30 pm. It was quite exciting but what makes me wonder, is that people in here didn't know what to do. it was weird.

So then I got home, found out the not so nice surprise and here I am, at out ITC lab. I just needed to come and write these things down because I don't have the time to do that tomorrow, I need to pack and do some reading on Thursday and on Friday we'll leave as soon as our classes are over.

So I survived from the tornado :D and I'm pissed off again. In a week I've been here for two months, half a way already. And I'm missing my love. But still not homesick, I just miss our Finnish systems... As I said to Kaisa, I do not miss places, I miss people. And I miss them a lot now.

Ghosts

My network was working the very next day though it was very slow... :P I assume that they noticed that it was their mistake. And Paola and Meike cheered me up when I came that day back home.

Ashleigh: "Paola called again, she sounded like you really should call her back."
Me: "Omg what have happened??"
*calls Paola and Meike
Paola: "Taina! I need a Hello Kitty band aid!" *sobs*
Taina: "What has happened???"
Paola: *sobs* "I lost a button from my skirt..."
...

It was so hilarious! Because it was the same button we already sew few weeks ago. Ashleigh came to see if I was crying or laughing because I laughed so much :D And the next day I was supposed to try to connect this wreck to the wireless but then I noticed that it was working again.

And I had to drop the Graduate Immunology course, it was way beyond me... After the first 15 minutes of the second session I thought that ok, this is it. I can't do this. I couldn't understand a bit what they were talking about and yet still I was forced to talk with them. So now I have Animal Behavior instead. :) And I really didn't expect this to be this hard. I mean I'm only positively surprised, the education in here is really good and the professors are great! (I love my endocrinology professor, he's hilarious, in the end of one session he said "Oh, I'm so sick" :D and that describes it all!) And I really need to read all the time for the courses. But it's good, it keeps me busy. Someone said that the University of Iowa is one of the top universities in US. And it really feels like that.

Last Friday I was in a such a good mood, I talked with my parents (and aunt because she's in Finland because of funeral of their mothers brother, I said all our relatives are dying! :( ) and with Tarmo! And I cried a bit when I heard Tarmos voice because it had been a while when I had heard it last time. But I just was so happy :) And I also saw him via webcam! On Friday we went to Q bar and there was this amazing band; Minus Six! I didn't drink that much that night (3 margaritas, $3 a piece) because I was in front of the stage most of the night :) And after the night we got ride home. Yesterday we went to the Coral Ridge Mall and I bought some things from Victoria's Secret again ;) And I was supposed to buy some nice skirt but I couldn't find one... all there was was mini skirts and mini shorts... So I bought a jacket for Fall and it was only $60 and similar one at other shop was $200! After shopping we went to see Nanny Diaries in to the cinema and it was nice. we bought this huge bucket of popcorns and couldn't even finish it (there were four of us eating it!). When we came back there was this big family of black people (and even though I tell this story, I'm not a racist :) and it was so funny because all the older kids were messing around while the little ones were sitting nicely. In Finland it's the other way around :D And there was this cute little girl who sat next to Paola and chatted with her. She reminded me so much of my nieces sister Laura (she's also black) :) Oh yeah, and when I was heading to the Mall there was this elder black man who came to me when I was going to the bus and said Oh you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, I would like to get to know you, I live in Coralville, maybe you could come and visit me ans we could chat... And he smelled a bit of alcohol and it was kind of awkward. Luckily I could get away from him when the bus came. And weird enough, Ashleigh told this same story when she came to the Mall! :D

After the movies we came back home and Kaisa helped me with my computer and we formated it. And it's so much faster now :) Though we had to wait a bit and while waiting we watched Tyttö sinä olet tähti and The Butterfly effect. I liked both of them but I was really impressed about the latter one. It was so good, distressing but still very good. So I came home at 2 am and went straight to bed. I just left my laptop on the table (sideways) and didn't do anything more with it. And here are ghosts! Because when I woke up an hour ago, my laptop was on it's right place (and I did put it SIDEWAYS) and it's lid was open (I left it closed) and the network cable was connected... And our doors were locked... Ashleigh was awake for a while in the morning, I have to ask her if she did something... But this is a bit scary :F

Today we're going to go outside read because it should be a good weather :)

And it seems that I still can't upload any pics... And I tried to find some video of Minus Six but couldn't find a decent one...

Everyday Life

Oh now my things in here are in order. I got a bank account today and deposited my checks there so that I can use that money! I also have all my courses registered now and this is how it looks like:

• Endocrinology 2:30-3:20 Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
  
• Introduction to Developmental Biology 2:30-3:45 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays plus discussions 4:30-5:20 pm Mondays
• Fundamental Neurobiology 1:05-2:20 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays plus discussions 7:10-9:10 Tuesdays
• Graduate Immunology 8:30-10:00 am Tuesdays and Thursdays

I also did some laundry today and cooked! Last evening we were invited to play cards to the other side of Mayflower where all the other international students are. And there was a thunderstorm again and it was awesome! The lightning was so intensive and it was purple and they went across the sky. Beautiful!

And about fat people. I haven't seen so many fat people around Iowa City (expect on women who couldn't walk without support, that was just awful) but at the Fair I saw many fat people. Recycling is just nothing compared to Finland, though they recycle their plastic bags. They use enormous amount of water at the toilets and everything is "germ free". Music is just the same as in Finland and I still haven't found a groceries near me that sell fresh food. What else? I had a nap today and my back is hurting. Luckily the gym in Mayflower will open on Wednesday. I just need to rest this weekend so that my back settles down again.

I would post some pics but there seems to be kind of problem with our network, it doesn't upload any pics and it's just so slow. Next time.

ps. edited: I finally added pic ^^